Wednesday, 18 March 2009

Call for UK action as unemployment soars

http://www.snp.org/node/15004

Home » News » Westminster
2009-03-17
With unemployment expected to soar in excess of two million when the
Office of National Statistics next publishes its official data, SNP Work
and Pensions Spokesperson John Mason MP has called on the UK Government
to step up its response.

With unemployment expected to soar in excess of two million when the
Office of National Statistics next publishes its official data, SNP Work
and Pensions Spokesperson John Mason MP said:

"The painful reality of this recession is hitting home and high street
across the country.

"The bad news has been relentless, and these appalling unemployment
figures underline the desperate need to get a grip on the economic
crisis. These stark numbers hide the real and untold hardship that
individual workers face as they struggle to find new work.

"It is clear that the number of jobseekers vastly exceeds the number of
jobs available. Gordon Brown can no longer claim that there are plenty
of jobs available for people who are prepared to look.

"The Scottish Government is doing everything it can, and Scottish
unemployment is still lower than the UK average. But the UK Government
must step up their action – and they should start by ruling out planned
cuts to Scottish public spending in the teeth of the recession."